Major League Soccer continues to grow. And lately, that growth has been nearly exponential.
An article published on Forbes.com outlined the league’s fantastic growth since as recently as 2014, the year before Orlando City SC and New York City FC joined the league.
It’s a league that has changed its perception from a small time professional sports league behind the behemoths of the NFL, NBA and MLB to a league seen “as a growth stock,” according to MLS Chief Marketing Officer Howard Handler.
The article pointed to increased match viewership, particularly among fans aged 18-49, incredibly fast growth on social media, and rising attendance and merchandise sales as the greatest catalysts for the league’s growth into a legitimate player on the sports entertainment landscape.
And Orlando City is leading the charge.
In addition to holding the league’s second highest attendance total in each of its two MLS seasons, Orlando City has the fifth-most likes on Facebook and the third-most followers on Twitter and Instagram in a league whose “social platforms have increased 95 percent in the past year and almost 690% since 2013.” The Club’s merchandise sales are among the top four in the league.
Back in September, Forbes also valued Orlando City at an estimated $240 million, the fifth highest in MLS.
The Club’s impact on the league will only increase next season when the Lions move into their own privately financed, soccer-specific downtown stadium. With a canopied roof to keep weather out and noise in, plus North America’s only safe-standing supporters section, it’s sure to become the most intimidating fortress in MLS. Additionally, the Club announced it has sold its season ticket capacity of 18,000 as of September of this year.
Said Handler: “The live experience of our stadiums is the heart and soul of what makes us special. The intoxicating environment, the electricity, the chanting, it is truly the expression of a fan-driven league.”
